1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a communication architecture, and more specifically, to a communication architecture for establishing connectivity between devices using one or more transports.
2. Background
In general, software programs may include instruction sets that are executable by a processor, and are further organized to receive input (e.g., data) for use in a calculation or determination resulting in an output. Software technology has evolved to transform these individual instruction sets into program modules that may in turn be integrated together to form the more complex programs. Today's more-sophisticated software programs may receive various forms of input such as raw data, for example as stored in magnetic or optical storage, user input through various known types of user interfaces, measured or monitored information converted to electronic information from electronic and/or electromechanical sensors, etc.
In some instances, programs may be configured to produce data usable by other software applications. However, a problem may be presented in conveying the information from one program to another. If the relationship is known before the programs are created, then a specific strategy may be devised to convert one program's output into another program's input. Traditionally this strategy has led to functional but rigid software applications, requiring frequent and possibly substantial revisions due to changes in functionality, platform, architecture, etc.
Recently, more flexible modular architectures for sharing information amongst programs are emerging. These programs use modular program units, or “nodes,” that can be revised or replaced without having to interrupt overall device operation. In particular, some nodes may contribute information to a shared memory space, while others may read previously stored information from the shared memory space or may combine these functions. Other types of nodes may also be specialized to provide communication services. Using this strategy, altering program elements (e.g., altering, adding or deleting one or more nodes) may not affect nodes that are actively communicating with other nodes, and memory usage may be optimized since information may be stored in a single location while being accessible to all of the nodes.
While this strategy can conceptually be implemented in a single device platform, no effective solution currently exists for coupling nodes on different devices. Problems currently exist with respect to facilitating the establishment of a transport (e.g., a wireless communication medium) with which one node may correspond with another. Further, if a selected transport becomes unavailable, for example, because of environmental interference, range and or traffic issues, then under the application of current practices a whole new connection configuration would have to be devised. In addition, even if another transport was configured manually or as an automated backup to the original transport, a substantial risk may still exist if the alternative transport isn't available (e.g., is a particular transport that is also experiencing problems). A risk may further exist with respect to lost data (e.g., dropped packets) as data already allocated to resources supporting a failing or failed transport cannot be recovered, and therefore, this information may have to be resent and/or recreated. This recovery process will unavoidably occupy system resources and delay the sending of any following data, resulting in a negative impact on the overall quality of service (QoS) provided by the communication device.